In an era of climate uncertainty, it’s hard to know how to make a real difference or how our individual and seemingly small efforts amount to real, meaningful change in the world, especially in developing countries where resources are scarce.
Millions Living on the Edge.
In Central Africa some cities are simultaneously suffering from limited water supplies and unimaginable urban erosion from monsoon rains. Combine sandy soils with explosive population growth in cities lacking drainage systems, add intensifying monsoon rains, and you have a recipe for flooding that is washing away the very soil these cities are built upon.
Like a sand castle at the beach washed away by the waves, when monsoon rains arrive, real homes and businesses in Brazzaville, Congo and Kinshasa, DRC are damaged or destroyed at an alarming rate. Ironically, while water is everywhere during these storms, few homes have running water to cook, clean and bathe. Water must be collected and transported from community wells or purchased for delivery multiple times per week
This is why Terra Firma Rainwater Collective is implementing water supply solutions that tackle both the humanitarian and climate challenges that these communities face. We aim to address the issue of too much and too little water by promoting rainwater harvesting for domestic water use, while simultaneously removing the driving force of catastrophic erosion.
Every time it rains, we have an opportunity to improve the lives of millions.
Typical erosion resulting from monsoon rains falling on dense urban development over sandy soils.
What Happens in the Next Decade Truly Matters.
Populations are growing rapidly and so are the effects of climate change in equatorial Africa. Our non-profit organization was launched with the goal of engaging with communities to build resiliency into their situations. To this end, Terra Firma has engineered water collection systems to simply and affordably capture and store rainwater from the ubiquitous corrugated metal roof - the roofing material for millions of homes in these cities. Captured in a modest sized storage tank, rainwater can provide a domestic water source for up to 9 months of the year for a typical home. Such a convenient source of domestic water changes lives by saving time, saving money, and by providing economic opportunities. Acting now gives these communities another tool to face the challenges ahead.
Terra Firma President and founder Mark Weinhold works with community members on a ferrocement water storage tanks during a recent trip to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Installation of roof clips and a gutter to complete the rainwater catchment system.
A completed rainwater catchment system providing a domestic water source for a family of five.
When a community gets access to clean water, the opportunities are endless for a better future.
Seeing is believing. Our in-country partners have identified neighborhood pockets in Kinshasa, DRC for demonstrating the process of rainwater harvesting and the benefits it provides. Encouraging communities to participate in these projects, and see the benefits first hand, is key to changing their relationship with monsoon rains. From installation of catchment systems to workshops in urban permaculture and composting, community members, leaders and local businesses are being engaged to address their ever-present issues of water supply and erosion.
The first phase of our demonstration projects is underway, and as we begin to take on more complex projects at high-visibility churches and schools, we need your help. Please consider supporting this important work of transforming rainwater into opportunity, one roof at a time.
Will you join us?
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